Sweeper



E. D. PARKER ET'AL 4 Dec. 3o, 1941.

SWEEPER Dec.30,1941. E. D. PARKER ETAL 22681159 SWEEPER Filed March 7,1940 I 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 G torneg Patented Dec. 30, 1941 SWEEPER Edwin D.Parker, Springfield, Ohio, and Edwin S.

George, Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

Application March 7, 1940, Serial No. 322,728

3 Claims.

This invention relates generally to cleaning devices and moreparticularly to sweepers.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a new andimproved sweeper capable of picking up dust and also being capable ofpicking up relatively large and heavy objects.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved sweeperhaving a relatively low speed brush for picking up dust and smallobjects and having a relatively high speed brush for picking up largeand heavy objects.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved sweeperhaving a pair of rotary brushes separated b-y a readily removable refusereceptacle common to both of said brushes.

A further object of the invention is to provide a new and improvedsweeper having flexible and adjustable ground engaging means to directdirt and objects into the refuse receptacle of the sweeper and havingprovisions for adjusting the pressure of the brushes against the flooror other surface to be swept.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the followingdetailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawingsin which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the sweeper having parts broken away andin section to show certain details of construction;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the sweeper;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal central section of the sweeper;

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view of the sweeper taken along the line andin the direction of the arrows 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a removable refuse receptacle of thesweeper; and

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatical side view of a modified form of sweeper.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, the sweeper shownincludes a hollow casing which may be made of sheet metal having a topWall I0, side walls II and end or front and rear walls I2 and I3respectively. The end or front and rear walls I2, I3 are contnuations ofthe top wall and are rounded or curved downwardly to the bottom of thecasing which is open, as shown. Intermediate the front and rear ends ofthe casing, the casing top wall I is provided with an opening whichextends substantially entirely across the width of the casing and isclosed by a readily removable refuse receptacle I4. This receptacle I4divides the cascompartment I and a rear compartment I6.

. In the front compartment I5 is mounted a relatively high speed rotarybrush II and in the rear compartment I6 is mounted a relatively lowspeed brush I8, the axes of these brushes being substantially parallelto each other and extending transversely of the casing. In the presentdisclosure, the front brush II is smaller in diameter than the rearbrush I8, but it will be understood that the brushes may besubstantially the same diameter, if desired, or the front brush may belarger than the rear brush. The front brush I'I is rotated at a.relatively high speed to obtain a lifting force to pick up heavyobjects,

while the rear brush I8 is rotated at a relatively low speed to avoidunnecessary stirring up of dust.

The front brush I'I mayA comprise a hollow spindle 2li-on the outerperiphery of which individual bristle holding members 20a may bereleasably and suitably secured to the spindle and the spindle may bexed on a shaft 22. On wearing of the bristles, spacer members or shimsmay be provided between the members 20a and the spindle 20 to bring thebristles into proper engagement with the oor or other surface to y onwhich separate bristle holding mernbers`24a ing into two compartmentscomprising a front 5a may be suitably secured, and the spindle 24 may besecured to and over a shaft 25 having its opposite ends rotatablysupported in bores of brackets 26 which may be rigidly secured to theouter sides of the casing. As in the brush I'I, the bristle holders 24of the brush I8 may be released and shims may be provided between theholders and the spindle 24 to compensate for wear of the brush.

. Referring now in detail to the receptacle I4, this receptacle isarranged to receive sweepings from both of the brushes and comprises abottom wall 28, end walls 29, side walls 30, 3| and a top wall 32.Preferably, the receptacle top wall 32 is provided with outturnedflanges 33 for seating on the upper surface of the casing top wall I0and rigidly secured to the receptacle top wall 32 there may be providedone or more handles 34 for conveniently lifting and removing thereceptacle from the sweeper casing. In its front and rear walls, thereceptacle is provided with inlet openings 35 and 36 respectively forthe entrance of dirt and other sweepings from the brushes I'I and I8,these openings 35 and 36 extending substantially entirely the fulllength of the receptacle or coextensive with the brushes. Intermediatethe top and bottom walls of the receptacle I4, an internal wall 31 formsthe top wall of a refuse chamber 38, the internal wall 3l extendingbetween and to the end walls 29 and extending downwardly from the upperedges.

of the opening to an apex. Theseangularly disposed walls serve to directdownwardly the dirt and other objects entering the chamber 38 of thereceptacle.

Formed out of the casing top wall I 6 is a downwardly extending flange40 which extendstransversely of the casing along and defines theAforward edge of the opening in the casing topwall the bolts, theslotsproyiding for adjustment of the. guard with respect to the end's4of. the brush bristles. Theguard43 cooperateswith the. brush II-. tolift dirt and other. objects which are later thrown olf thebrushthroughthe opening,35'into chamber 384 and thelower edgeof theguard43 is preferably provided. with .anupwardlyv facing beveled surface todecrease resistance tothe' en.w trance of sweepings betweenthebrushandithe inner surface of the. guard, the lower beveled edge ofthe guard being. spacedfabove the ground or oonas indicated at44.Disposed below the metallic guard 43is-a second .and-flexible groundengaging guard 45, preferably a strip of rubber to prevent dirt andobjects' from being swept under thel lower edge of themetallic guard 43;The rubber strip 45maybe suitably secured to a metallic strip 46, seeFig, 4, which may be movably supported near its oppositeendsinslotsr4lprovided in4 brackets' 48 which-may*A be rigidly secured respectively tothe casing side walls I'I. As showm the slots 4?! are arranged such thatthe metallic strips 46, upon engaging at fixed object, will moverearwardly and upwardly to clear the object, thus avoiding' damage tothe sweeper. Mounted on each of the brackets 48 is a spring 49arranged-to urge the rubberguard downwardly into contact with the flooror ground, the springs 49:being respectively wrapped around pins- 56'secured to respective brackets and one end'of each springbeingfanchoredan'd the other ends of the springs engaginginaperturesprovided in the metallic' backingstrip for the rubber strip 45.Extending downwardly from the lower edge ofthe opening 36 there is ametallic guard 46a similar to theguardi43.' theguard 46L beingrcoextensive with thebrush I 8 curving rearwardly such that the bristlesrengage or are in close proximity with theL concave surface of the guard.The guard 46a isfprovided with end ilanges 46h having horizontalslots 46to receive bolts which secure the guard to the side walls of the sweepercasing, the slots providing for adjustment of the guard withrespect tothe ends of the brush bristles. Seeuredtothe guard' 46il by a bracket orbacking strip 41a is a flexible ground engaging guard 48*1 which ispreferably a strip of rubber extending downwardly and rearwardly andhaving its lower edge beveled, as shown.

Intermediate the brushes I'I and I8, the sweeper is provided with a pairof ground wheels 5I)a which may be of any suitable construction,preferably provided with rubber tires, and at the rear of the sweeper isprovided a single and swivable ground wheel 5I which permits easysteering of the sweeper, the wheel 5I being vertically adjustable by ascrew 5W to aid in adjusting the pressure of the brush I8 against thefloor or ground. The wheels 55a may be mounted on separate, aligned,hollow spindles 52 which may be rotatably mounted on separate fixedshafts 53, and the shafts 53 may have inner end portions thereof rigidlysecured respectively in hollow bosses of brackets 54 which may berigidly secured to the casing side walls I I by bolts or by othersuitable means. The bolts are received in vertical slots 54a provided inthe brackets 54 to provide for vertical raising and/or lowering of thesweeper casing to attain correct pressure of the brushes on the floor.

Integral or otherwise secured to each of the spindles 52 is a pair ofspaced sprockets 55 and 56, the sprockets 55 being` separately connectedby chains 56a respectively` to sprockets 5Iv secured to the outer endsof the front brush shaft 22.

The other or inner sprockets 56 areconnected by chains 51a respectivelyto drive idler sprockets 58 on stubv shafts which are mounted on thecasing side walls II near the rear end of the casing, and intermediatethe wheel sprockets 56 and the idler sprockets 53 the chains.respectively drive sprockets 66 providedorr opposite ends of. the rearbrush shaft. 25. Itv will-baseren that theA idler gears 58 provide forrotationof the'rear brush I 8 in the oppositedirection with respect tothe rotation of the front brush` I'I. In Fig. 6 there is shown a sweeperwhich, instead of having two pairs of drive chains connecting the groundwheels and brushes, has but one pair of continuous chains, designated bythe numeral 63. A handle for pushing the sweeper may have side members6I which may be suitably secured to the casing side walls II. On eachside of the sweeper casing the sprockets and chains may be provided witha housing 62 which may 'ne-secured to the sweeper casing in any suitablemanner.

At times, it may be desired to sweep along the edge of a dock or otherplatform where, in order for the brush to reach, the outer ground wheelwould have to overhang the dock or platform and. to this end, a wheel orcaster 65 is provided at the front of the casing to support the sameunder the above condition. If desired, the front castor 65, like therear castor 5I, may be made vertically adjustable.

In operation of the sweeper, when the sweeper is pushed along the flooror ground the ground wheels 50a through the sprocket andA chain driveswill rotate the brushes II and I8 in opposite directions and the brusheswill discharge the sweepings into their common receptacle I4. The frontbrush I I will have a greater speed than the rear or relatively largebrush due to their differences in size and further due to thedifferences in diameters of their respective driven sprockets 51 and 60.This arrangement and differences in brush speeds result in the rearbrush I8# sweeping up dust and dirt andl iineobjects while the frontbrush l1 will sweep up heavy objects. When desired the receptacle I4 maybe readily lifted out of the sweeper casing and the dust, dirt andarticles therein may be dumped out of the receptacle through theopenings 35 and 36.

While we have shown and described our invention in detail it is to beunderstood that the same is to be limited only by the Iappended claimsfor many changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scopeof the invention.

What we claim is:

1. In a sweeper, a casing having front and rear ends, a rotary brushdisposed Within said casing adjacent one end thereof, another rotarybrush disposed within said casing adjacent the other end thereof andspaced from said rst-named brush, a receptacle disposed within saidcasing between said brushes and having oppositely disposed inlets forrespective brushes, ground wheels supporting said casing, and meansoperatively connecting said ground wheels and both of said brushes andso arranged to rotate one brush at a relatively high peripheral speedand the other brush at a relatively low Iperipheral speed.

2. In a sweeper, a casing, a rotary brush mounted in said casing,another rotary brush mounted in said casing in spaced relation to saidfirstnamed brush, a receptacle disposed within said casing between saidbrushes and having oppositely disposed side walls in close proximity tothe respective brushes, an inlet formed in each of said walls oppositethe respective brush, ground wheels supporting said casing, and meansoperatively connecting said ground wheels and said brushes and soarranged to rotate one brush at a relatively high peripheral speed andthe other brush at a relatively low peripheral speed.

3. In a sweeper having ground supporting means, a casing carried by thesupporting means and having front and rear ends, -a rotary brush mountedwithin said casing adjacent said front end, a second rotary brushmounted within said casing adjacent said rear end, said casing having awall provided therein with an opening between said brushes, a receptacleremovably carried within said opening and extending transversely of saidcasing, elongated inlets formed in the front and rear walls of saidreceptacle opposite said brushes and between the upper and lower ends ofsaid receptacle, and a Wall carried by said front and rear walls of saidreceptacle at the upper ends of said inlets and declined from said upperinlet ends toward an apex disposed below and intermediate same.

EDWIN D. PARKER. EDWIN S. GEORGE.

